Yukon will make radon testing and mitigation a licensing requirement for daycares and day homes, the territory's health minister says.That would make Yukon the first jurisdiction in Canada to require that of child-care facilities. "Yukon is leading the change, leading the way," said Minister Pauline Frost.

Public health officials in Thunder Bay, Ont., say they hope expanding a health unit initiative to get people to test their homes for a radioactive gas in locales other than the city will shed more light on exactly where radon is most concentrated.

November is Radon Action Month, aimed at boosting awareness of the gas that is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. If you’re a smoker and have elevated radon levels in your home, over time your chances of developing lung cancer is one in three. It’s estimated that radon causes 3,200 lung cancer deaths a year in Canada.

On September 12, 2013, representatives of the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada (“RSIC”) together with the Ontario Lung Association, were at Queen’s Park to observe debate on Bill 96, Radon Awareness and Prevention Act, 2013. The bill was tabled by the MPP for Etobicoke North, Dr. Shafiq Qaadri, and successfully passed Second Reading in the afternoon.

A new study has been published showing that about 3,200 Canadians a year likely die because of exposure to radon, produced naturally when uranium in the soil degrades. Efforts to reduce radon levels need to be stepped up, the study’s authors urge in a paper appearing in the journal Radiation Protection Dosimetry.

Health Canada releases it’s survey of Radon in Canadian homes
April 24, 2012

This new survey of 20,000 homes in Canada shows 8.2% of Ontario homes have unacceptably high levels of radon and need to be mitigated.

Few Canadians have tested their homes for the carcinogen and fewer still have taken the relatively inexpensive steps to radon-proof their homes. These were the conclusions of the recently completed The Radon Challenge study, undertaken by the HPC, a not-for-profit committed to improving housing and housing-related services across Canada.

The Potential for Above-Average Radon Levels
January 7, 2012

By evaluating the geology in an area, scientists can evaluate the radon potential of the rocks and soils at housing sites or other areas of interest. The factors listed below can increase the probability that an area will have above-average levels of radon. Read more →

Winter is a Great Time to Test for Radon
January 7, 2012

Christmas decorations are going back in the boxes. The New Year celebrations are over. This winter, why not test your home or business for radon gas. With the doors and windows all closed, winter is a great time to get the most accurate readings.

World Health Organization

The national average of outside radon levels is 20 Bq/m3 and it is estimated by the National Academy of Sciences that outdoor radon levels cause approximately 800 of the 21,000 radon induced lung cancer deaths in the US each year. Your risk of lung cancer increases substantially with exposure to higher radon levels. Lung cancer risk rises 16% per 135 Bq/m3 increase in radon exposure. (World Health Organization, 2009) Studies show that radon is the primary cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked. However, the absolute numbers of radon-induced lung cancers are much larger in people who smoke, or who have smoked in the past, due to a strong combined effect of smoking and radon.